I'm not recommending this as a prank .. but many years ago I was a BAAADD BOY.

A new VP of Engineering was hired, and he brought in his own Software Engineer manager.  This ticked me, and two other employees who were up for the job, off but even worse, he didn't seem to understand Software Engineering or Technology. 

Unlike earlier bosses who were more like Team Leads, and worked hand in hand with the Software Engineers, this guy had an office built for him, and didn't do anything with the team except push managements directives, and collect status.  In other words, a normal manager.

Well ....

I really didn't like him ....

and ...

I was really young ....

and ...

I didn't think he even turned his computer on (which, given this was in the late 1980s was entirely possible since computers in the office were not nearly as prevalent as today).  So, to prove it to myself, one night that I was working REALLY late, I climbed over the his wall (his door was locked, but the walls only went to the dropped ceiling).  Once inside I opened up his computer, and took our his HARD DRIVE.

You can't get away with this today since there is a formal IT department in most companies, but back in those days, there wasn't, so I knew that he would need to ask one of us to help.

On Monday ... Nothing

On Tuesday ... Nothing

All through the first week ... Nothing.

By now I was a bit worried.  I figured he wasn't really using his computer, but come on.  What did he do in that office all day.  I started to worry that he had figured it out and I was going to lose my job.

Well ...

Mid-week he calls me in and asks for my help.  He had been working on the computer, you see, trying to debug an issue the team was looking at, and all of a sudden it went blue screen and died.  He TRIED to fix it, according to him, but he thought he needed to get a new computer.

So ... Not only didn't he use his computer, he felt the need to create this impossible story and lie right to my face.  Well, I told him I'd take lunch off and try to fix it, and if I couldn't figure it out, I'd put the req. in for a new one.  He, of course, wanted a bigger computer, with more power and memory since this one was slowing him down.

So, Lunch time came, and I "fixed" the computer, vindicated in knowing I was right, and that I didn't get caught.

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Now, this wasn't something I would do today.  A Remote Control Snake would be a much better choice.  I was young and foolish though.

Have a Pranky Day!